"The way I look at it, a drug that does not increase eGFR is useless for CKD.  I mean what will any doctor with such a drug re CKD?"

Patients in BETonMACE will have an eGFR of at least 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 and those in the CKD sub-study will have an eGFR between 30 and 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 (median 49 mL/min/1.73 m2 for the 259 patients in the CKD sub-study). I think you are under-appreciating the clinical value, quality of life value and commercial value of a drug that slows down the deterioration from stage 3 pre-existing CKD to a more severe stage 4 CKD (eGFR between 15 and 30 mL/min/1.73 m2) and finally to end stage kidney disease of less than 15 mL/min/1.73 m2 that requires dialysis or transplantation. Yes, increasing kidney function and reversing the kidney disease would be amazing. But preserving the remaining kidney function and slowing its decline is still a great clinical achievement valuable to the clinic, the patient and investors.

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